Wire-fence machine



(N0 Modem 7 J. 88 0. LANE.

WIRE FENGE MACHINE.

No. 889,751. Patented Sept.- 18, 1888..

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JOHN LANE AND CORNELIUS LANE, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

WIRE-FENCE? MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 389,751, dated September 18, 1888.

Application filed March 5,1888.

, useful Improvement in Wire-Fence Machines;

'for one set of strands.

and we declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

which form a part of this specification.

Our invention consists of the combinations of devices and appliances hereinafter specified, and more particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of our improved machine in operation of building a fence. Fig. 2 is a front view of our said machine. Fig. 3 is a separate view illustrating our improved picket-holder and spacer. Fig. 4. represents our tension device, and Fig. 5 a detail view of the tension device Fig. 6 isan enlarged detail view.

It is the purpose of this invention to produce a machine which shall be capable of twisting the wires in the manufacture of a combined wire and paling fence, the machine consisting of a frame provided with two sliding rack-bars which engage upon opposite sides of the twisting-gears,thesaidrack-bars meshing withapinion, and the pinion provided with a crank for reciprocating the rack-bars in opposite directions alternately up and down, thereby twisting the wires first in one direction, then in the opposite direction as the palings are inserted. By making the said rack-bars so short that as they are reciprocated up and down the extreme twistinggears will ride off from one rack and be actuated solely by the other, this arrangement enables us to secure a long sweep of the rack-bars, and consequently a number of twists, if necessary, before the descending rackbar reaches the ground or the lowest point of its stroke, and whereby also we are enabled to produce several twists with the lower gear, as well as those above.

In carrying out our invention, A represents the side pieces or frame of our machine. It

is supported upon a truck, B, and through the Serial N 0. 266,108. (No model.)

medium of a segmental bar, 0, and any suitable clamp, G, is capable of being tilted forward or back, so as to maintain the vertical position of the pickets when going up or down a slope.

the said rackbars and meshing with both of them.

F is a driving-pinion, and F a crank,whereby the device is operated. The twisting-gears have wire-holes through them, as shown'at 6,

through which the strands of wire are passed.

Now, it will be observed that these rack-bars are each considerably less in length than the whole length of the frame, and that as one rises and the other descends the former will ride off from the lower twisting-gear, while the latter will ride off from the upper twisting-gear. Therefore it is apparent that the lower twisting-gear may be located close to the ground and yet be twisted a number of times, for it not only is revolved by the upward motion of the ascending rack-bar, but as soon as this rack-bar is about to disengage therefrom the descending rack bar engages the same gear and continues its rotation. It will be apparent from this construction that the lower gear is given half its turns by one rack-bar and the other half by the other rack-bar; or, in other words, if both rack-bars were simultaneously engaged with the gear and maintained thus in engagement the descending rack-bar, in order to give to this gear the same number of twists, wouldproject to a considerable distanoe below the end of the frame. This construction enables us to locate a strand close to the ground and give to it a number of twists, whereas were both the racks constantly meshed with all of the twisting-gears it would be impossible to work so close to the ground, except by sacrificing the desired number of twists in the wire.

Our paling holder and spacer consists of a plate, G, having a heel, g, at an angle thercwith and an adjustable arm, 9. The heelgis engaged with the shaft and to this is connected a handle, G. The connecting rod or cable G2 serves to operate a similar appliance at the bottom of the picket. The operation of this part of the mechanism is as follows: The handle G being in its vertical position, the paling to be inserted is introduced, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The machine may then be drawn back until the hook on the arm 9 limits its further movement, thus placing the paling or the picket the desired space or distance from the one last placed. One or more twists may then be made. The handle G is then turned to the right and by means of the shaft which is in engagement with the upper end of the heel g, the lower portion of the said heel and with it the adjustable arm g are thrown out from engagement with the picket and into a vertical plane. The machine may then be drawn past the picket, which is in place and is ready to receive the next picket. This arrangement enables us to produce the first twist very close to the picket, and by thus working close to the picket the twists are made very close and firm.

This device is designed for use with any of the ordinary wire-tension devices.

Our tension devices, which we prefer to employ, consist of an upright, H, with a brace, H. It is provided upon its opposite sides with pulleys H, arranged in pairs, as shown. Each strand is passed once around its corresponding pulley, and cleats h with pins h enable us to readily engage the wire upon the pulleys and hold the same in the eleat without threading the end of the wire through thesaid clea't, it being only necessary to open the clcat by removing the pin.

What we claim is- 1. A fence-machine comprising a frame, in

which are located a series of twisting-gears, and two rack-bars meshing upon oppositesides of said gears, a crank and pinion for operating the same, a support for the frame permitting the forward or backward tilting of said frame, and picket holding and spacing mechanism consisting of plate G, having heel g, adjustable arm and means, substantially as dc scribed, for operating said picket holding and spacing mechanism.

2. The combination, with a twistingmachine for making wire fence, of the picketholder consisting of the plate G and arm eccentrically connected with an operatingshaft and handle G, the construction being such that the picket may be held by the said device and the device disengaged free from the picket by turning the said handle, sub stantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The picket holding and spacing mechanism consisting of the plate G, having the heelg, the adjustable arm 9, and means, substantially as described. for operating the same.

at. The wire tension device consisting of frame H, having sets ofpulleys H and in combination therewith cleats h, with pins h, adapted to hold the wire in engagement with the said pulleys, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN LANE.

CORNELIUSLANE.

Vitnesses:

HENRY S. HADsALL, Gao. E. NEWALL. 

